This study proposes that structured labs using groups can help foster individual student acceptance of software engineering methodologies. The technology acceptance model (TAM) is employed in an empirical test using students in freshman and sophomore‐level programming courses. Our findings suggest that a structured group lab experience does influence a student's belief system regarding the usefulness of a software engineering methodology, leading to an individual decision to accept and use the methodology on a voluntary basis. On average, the software engineering methodology was accepted by the students sampled. We recommend that structured group labs be designed to use peer groups, reinforce successful results, and use an iterative process design with phase‐by‐phase deliverables.
Our graduates are ill-prepared for entry positions in industry. This is the message from a 1994 NSF task force comprised of members from academia and industry. Among the specific deficiencies cited were problem-solving skills and the ability to work in groups. h a recent publication, the authors described a group problem-solving model, Group Zig Zag, based on the Myers-Briggs TypeIndicator. In this paper we show how the integration of a collaborative approach throughout the curriculum can be achieved by adopting the Group Zig Zag model.
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